The Secret Agent Chapter Abstracts for Teachers

Chapter 1

• This fictionalized tale, based on an actual attempt to blow up the Greenwich Observatory in 1894, involves love, espionage, and mystery.

• The first chapter introduces the main characters: a tortured husband named Mr. Verloc, his very attractive wife named Winnie, and her mentally challenged brother named Stevie.

• Mr. Verloc cares little about his pornography operation and leaves his shop in the care of Stevie, who is in turn cared for by Winnie.

• The author follows the practice throughout the novel of foreshadowing events to take place in subsequent chapters, in this instance, that not everything is respectable about Mr.Verloc and conflict will revolve around the special nature of Stevie.

Chapter 2

• Mr. Verloc's supervisors have called him to the French embassy at an unexpected time, during the day, which greatly troubles him.

• During his encounter with the Councilor and Mr. Vladimir, the first secretary, Mr. Verloc...